When you take your first steps out of bed or after a long period of sitting, a sharp pain hits the bottom of your heel. This symptom, which is a hallmark of Plantar Fasciitis, is called Post static dyskinesia (pain after rest). The pain typically eases as you start to walk around.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition that causes pain in the bottom of your heel. The plantar fascia is a band of fibrous tissue that supports the arch of your foot and extends from your heel bone to your toes. It is the most common cause of heel pain. Inflammation of the plantar fascia results in a sharp pain that is usually felt when you take your first step after sitting or sleeping for long periods of time. This pain may also be felt after prolonged or vigorous activity.
The plantar fascia becomes irritated and tightened due to overuse causing tiny micro-tears in the fascia. This stiffens the tissue, leading to plantar fasciitis. Excess weight, poor shoes, flat feet, and high impact activities can all contribute to plantar fasciitis. Tightness in the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles located in the back of the leg can also contribute to increased stress on the plantar fascia by limiting ankle dorsiflexion and altering the normal biomechanics of ambulation.
Treatment for plantar fasciitis involves rest and activity modification. This means decreasing your activity level, using shock absorbing shoes, and performing regular calf and plantar fascia stretches. These stretches are most effective when done before standing or walking in the morning and after prolonged sitting. If conservative methods are not effective, steroid injections into the affected area, dexamethasone, platelet-rich plasma, and extracorporeal shock wave therapy can provide relief. However, in some cases surgery may be needed.
Causes
When the plantar fascia experiences a strain it develops tiny tears in the tissue. During periods of rest and non weight bearing, like when you are sleeping or sitting for long periods of time, these tiny tears tend to heal back together. When you start putting pressure on the foot, for example when taking your first step out of bed or after sitting for awhile, these little tears are torn open again, and this leads to pain in the heel. The pain is typically worse when you take your first steps of the day and then slowly decreases as you continue to walk and move around. This is known as post static dyskinesia.
Common causes of plantar fasciitis include: Overpronation (flat feet), Exercising on hard surfaces without proper support, Age related degeneration of the foot arch, Poor shoe selection, and tight calf muscles.
Symptoms
Plantar fasciitis is a condition where there are tiny tears in the fibrous band of tissue that runs from your toes to your heel on the bottom of your foot. The tearing is caused by straining the ligament over and over. Over time, the tissue can become inflamed and painful. Often the pain is most intense when you first start walking or standing after periods of rest or inactivity. This is called post-static dyskinesia, or pain after rest. Patients often report that their heel hurts when they get out of bed in the morning or after sitting for long periods of time. The pain usually decreases as the day goes on and movement continues. However, it can reappear later in the day or after sitting for a period of time again.
Treatment
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory condition that causes pain in the bottom of your heel. The pain is classically worst first thing in the morning or after prolonged periods of rest (like sitting for a long time). This is because the plantar fascia is working on mending its tiny tears while it’s at rest. Once the foot is loaded and weight bearing, the tears are pulled open again causing the sharp, stabbing pain. It typically eases as the day progresses and weight-bearing activities continue. However, this is not the case for everyone with heel pain as there are a number of other conditions that can cause this symptom. These include overpronation, tight calf muscles, running on hard surfaces, not wearing appropriate shoes and weight gain.